Optical apparatus



-.31. 39- P. NOLAN OPTICAL Arfmi'us Filed April 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P54 190 Abzmz Oct. 31; 1939. Y P. NOLAN 2.113.211

I OPTICAL APPARATUS Filed April 23. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 31, 1939 2,178,211

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPTICAL APPARATUS Philip Nolan, Appleton, Win, assignor to The Institute of Paper Chemistrmjppleton, Wis a. corporation of Wisconsin npplloononn -n 2:, 1931, Serial No. 138,484

6 Claims. 88-14) I My invention relates to the general art of oplow cost instrument which can be operated by tics and hasparticular reference to instruments dividuals of ordinary s ll and traini g and to for use in performing color analysis measuret h s e s p e, e y p p ments. tus has been developed for measuring color re- 5, In the manufacture and coloring of paper, flectance at a number of selected wave lengths cloth, wrappings, and films of a i u types, t r v spaced over the visible spectral range believed cais a great need ior apparatus which is capable pable f givi g r pr s r di s The nof performing rapid and accurate color analysis, peratus is e e al y similar to a spectrophotompreferably without necessitating extensive or etel in t at a be l g is directed upon e 10 elaborate calculations. Not only is this imp0rt-' sample under test and measurement made of the 19 ant in the matching and duplicating of colors, energy of the r d ght at predetermined but also in the maintenance of color standards Wave lengths Phete-eell'equipment in the measduring manufacturing and coloring operations. ne side of t appa atus p ts di reed- For ordinary opaque or semi-opaque materials in of the refl d light ylly r color is, of course, a function of the absorption lugs for some eight or ten Wa lengths bands 15 and reflectance characteristics of the material, Wave lengths e taken, and he results 0band color analyzers for such materials are gentaiued y c a n of these dev ces have indicated erally of the reflectance type, that is to say, they that a satisfactory solution of e prob em ma operate by making possible the determination of lie along this line. Tests indicate, however, that 20 the'relative reflectance of visible light of the mathese photo-cell ana y rs which measu e leflee- 20 terial. The usual instrument includes means for tance at selected wave lengths suffer from some directing standardized beam of light upon th fundamental defect which seriously impairs their surface of the sample to be tested, and means for y, d e indicated results Obtained y measuring the intensity of the reflected light and their u e d fi'er so e mes as c as o 5 for comparing that intensity with the intensity e t e spec reflect nce 0f 8- mate ie as deof light reflected from a standard of reflectance. termined by i pectrophotometer using 1 The most accurate results are obtained by 'e lightmaking a large number of reflectance measure- T p n inven ion is ncerned with Overments for monochromatic light of the diflerent o g t s fundamental ac u y of these wave lengths encounteredinthe visible spectrum, el e 0! a y s described above, d 30 and apparatus capable of performing such measreduced to its simplest elements consists in the urements are generally termed spectrophotomdiseevery t the o c n f an infra-red eters. Some spectrophotometers utilize a blocking fi te o the measuring S Of the beam of monochromatic light, and others monoanalyzer Will a ost completely e co e e chromatize the'reflected light prior to the measdifiieulties experienced With the Prior art urement of the intensity thereof. The curve of e n t, devices q pp With t blockspectral reflectance yields, of course, a complete iug filter 0f e p e invention are p e of analysis of the color reflectance characteristics Performing e010! a yses for a lar e u be of of a material and constitutes the best' known desa p es comparable in results with those ob- 40 termination of the color reflectance characteristained by speetl'ephetemetels Without requiring o tics possible. Y more than about eight or ten reflectance readings The ordinary type of spectrophotometer used for selected wave lengths of light such as are ob- I in testing laboratories'is manually operable, altailleble y Ila-HOW band filters. The discovery. though automatically operable instruments have while yielding a relatively simple solution to the been developed. The attaining of a curve of p l m is of e d s value to t a t, n 45 spectral reflectance by the use of a, manually opthat it permits accurate and rapid C0101 analysis erable instrument is a slow and tedious process y the e Of simple, easily Opera-ted q p requiring considerable skill in the operator and u t he v y as p at ot nly extensive calculations. While these difiiculties to photo-cell reflectance type color analyzers, but

are overcome in the automatic device, the cost also to photo-cell a y s r m su n th 50 of such instruments is very great, and they will spectral transmission of transparent materials produce satisfactory results only in the hands of such as colored glass, colored films, colored sounusually skilled and highly experienced operalutions, and the like. tors. In the accompanying drawings I have illus- There is a real need, therefore, for a simple, trated certain apparatus to which the present in- 55 vention has particular application. Referring to these drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of one of the simpler forms of photo-cell, reflectance type color 5 analysers in current use;

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the device illustrated in Figure 1 and illustrates the mechanical, electrical, and optical features thereof and Figures 3 to 6 are schematic views illustrating 10 the essential features of the optical system of various photo-cell instruments of the general class whose accuracy will be improved by the embodiment therein or the present invention.

The apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 5 2 includes a box-like closure I and means suchasatungstenfllamentbulblandacondensing lens system ii for directing a concentrated beam of light onto a testsample I! of the material being tested, which sample is positioned power a suitable opening I! in the closure I of the device. An infra-red fllter II usually of the copper sulphate type is interposed in the optical system of this beam for preventing heating of the sample. The reflected light from the sample is collected by a second condensing lens system I! and focused upon a photo-cell indicated at is. A sector diaphragm 2| adapted to be operated by a shaft 23 and a. calibrated dial fl is arranged in the measuring side of the optical system, and the reflected beam passes through a filter wheel ll having a plurailty of narrow band fllters, one of which is indicated at 21, arranged over suitable openings therein. About nine fllters are usually suflicient for most commercial work. The fllter wheel 25 is operated to bring each fllter into position by a shalt 2! and knob Ii, the knob 3| having a pointer for cooperating with a suitably marked indicator scale 33.

The device includes a second photo-cell 8! arranged to receive light from the light source 9, and a compensator II, actuable by.a shaft 38 and calibrated dial 4|, is provided for controlling the amount of light energy impinging upon the photo-cell I. The compensator 31 is used only during the standardizing of the apparatus. The two photo-cells i9 and 35 operate in conjunction with a vacuum tube amplifier and a galvanometer instrument ll.

During the operation of this device a sample of the material to be tested is placed over the sample opening I! in the closure 1, the sector diaphragm 2| is adjusted to the known reflectance value of the standard (which will subsequently be placed over the sample opening it) for the particular fllter in place in the measuring side of the instrument, and the compensator I1 is then operated to bring the needle of the meter to an arbitrary reference point other than zero. The device is then ready to measure reflectance, the operation consisting in the placing of the standard inthe position previously occupied by the sample, which act is followed by' adjustment or the diaphragm II to restore the meter needle to the reference point. A direct reading of the relative reflectance for the light passed by the fllter then in place may be obtained from the calibrated scale forming a part of the diaphragm control dial 25. Other readings involving the same two step procedure outlined above are then made for as many of the other fliters'as is believed necessary.

Thediaphragm readings thus obtained represent a balancing of the light energy received by the two photo-cells l9 and 35 and give a reading 15 indicative of the reflectance of the sample for theparticularlightpassedbythenarrowband fllter. As mentioned previously, comparative tests show that the curves of spectral reflectance obtained by instruments of this type often differ very materially from the curvesobtained by a complete spectral reflectance examination made by a spectrophotometer using monochromatic light. If, however, an infra-red blocking fllter capable of passing the light in the visible spectrum with minimum dimunition thereof is introduced into the optical system of the measuring side of the apparatus, as indicated at I! in Figure 2, it will be iound that these discrepancies will disappear and a curve of spectral reflectnee based upon the reflected light transmitted by a relatively small number of narrow band fllters will give results coinciding almost exactly with the true curve of spectral reflectance obtained by complete monochromatic examination of the sample in a spectrophotometer.

Certain other forms of optical measuring equipment, the fundamental accuracy of which may also be improved by the introduction of an infra-red blocking fllter in the measuring side of the apparatus, are illustrated in Figures 3 to 6. In these flgures a light source is indicated at ll, the sample at 41, and light measuring equipment, which may be of the photo-electric type, is indicated at 48 In the device illustrated in Figure 3, light from the light source 4! is concentrated into a beam by condensing lenses 5i and directed upon the sample 41. An infra-red fllter for preventing heating of the sample is introduced into this beam at 63. The reflected light is concentrated and directed into the photo-cell or other measuring equipment 4! by a second set of condensing lenses II. In the ordinary operation of these devices, a narrow band fllter is introduced into the measuring circuit at 51, and if this is all that is done, the device will display the same fundamental inaccuracy of the structures previously mentioned. If, however, the lnfra-red blocking fllter of the present invention is introduced into the measuring circuit between the narrow band filter 51 and the photo-cell 40, as at ll, these inaccuracies will be overcome. It should be noted that the positioning of the infra-red blocking fllter II is important, if it is located on the other side of the narrow band fllter complete healintion of the desired improvement in accuracy will not be accomplished. This arrangement is, of

course, generally similar to the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

ThedeviceillustratedinFigureiissimilarto the device illustrated in Figure 3 exceptthat the narrow band fllter U1 is introduced into the light source side thereof. As in the previously described apparatus, despite the fact that the reflected light apparently should be ofthe same wave length as that passed by the fllter, serious inaccuracy in the results is noted, and this inaccuracy may be overcome by the use of an infra-red blocking filter in the measuring side, as indicated at us. In devices of-this type, the desired improvement in accuracy will be accomplished by introducing the blocking fllter at any point in the optical system of the measuring side of the device.

The device illustrated in Figure 5 employs a source of monochromatic light produced by means of condensing lenses II, a variable width slit I, a collimating lens 5, a constant deviation prism 61, objective and condensing lenses I and H, and a second slit ll of variable width.

This device, like those previously described, also fails to give readings accurately representative of the true spectral reflectance of the sample unless the infra-red filter or the present invention is introduced into the optical system of the measuring side of the equipment, as indicated at 59. It is noted that the magnitude of the errors in the readings for the device in Figure 5 are .likely to be smaller than those observed for the previously described devices.

Improvement in the fundamental accuracy of instruments for measuring the spectral transoptical system of the measuring side of the instrument adjacent the photo-cell 49.

Any infra-red fllter which is capable of a high percentage of the visible light energy and at the same time is capable of blocking out substantially all of the infra-red light having a wave length in excess of 700 millimicrons may be used with good results in the carrying out or the present invention. The filter manufactured by the Schott and Gen. Glass Works, Jena, Germany, and marketed under the trade name of "Jena Bil-18" is particularly suitable for this purpose. This fllter has a reasonably. high percentagev transmission between the range of 400 to 600 millimicrons and blocks out substantially all inIra-red energy having a wavelength between 100 and 1300 millimicrons.

It is a well known fact that the spectral reflectance of any particular material is to some extent dependent upon the angle at which the reflectance measurement is made. This fact, however, seems to have little, if any, influence upon the improvement in the fundamental accuracy of reflectance measurements made possible by the present invention, and it is reasonable to conclude that the introduction of an infra-red filter in the measuring side of all photo-cell equipment for color analysis or like purposes will accomplish very substantial improvement in the fundamental accuracy of those devices. Tests on many types of instruments, representative of various practices in the art, indicate the correctness of this conclusion.

The importance 01' the invention, in making possible the determination of accurate curves of spectral reflectance by the measurement of the relative reflectance of the sample under test by measurements based on only a few selected wave lengths or bands of wave lengths such as are readily attainable by the narrow band filters known to the art, is obvious. As mentioned previously, photo-cell color analyzers have been developed ior automatic operation. These devices will enjoy similar improvement in accuracy to that previously described when the present invention is embodied therein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the broad principle which has been disclosed in the foregoing is applicable to many types of photo-cell color analyzing and measuring equipment.

I claim the following as my invention:

1. In a device for measuring spectral reflectance in the visible light range, means for directing beam or light of predetermined wave length range onto a test sample, means for measuring the intensity of the visible light within said predetermined wave length range which is reflected from said sample, and an infra-red blocking filter ar- 5 ranged in the optical system of said measuring means which prevents infra-red light only from reaching said measuring means.

, 2. In a device for measuring spectral reflectance in thevisible light range, means for directing a beam of visible light onto a test sample, means including a filter and a photo-cell for measuring the intensity of the visible light within a predetermined wave length range which is reflected from the test sample and passed by said filter, and an infra-red blocking filter arranged in the optical system of said measuring means which prevents infra-red light only from reaching said photo-cell.

3. In a device for measuring spectral reflectance in the visible light range, means including a prism 20 for directing a beam of monochromatic visible light onto the material being tested, means'ineluding a photo-cell for measuring the intensity or the monochromatic light reflected from said material, and an infra-red blocking filter arranged in the optical system of said measuring means which prevents infra-red light only from reaching said measuring means.

4. In a device for measuring spectral reflectance in the visible light range, means for directing a concentrated beam of visible light onto a test sample, means including a condensing lens, a filter, and a photo-cell for measuring the intensity of the visible light within a predetermined wave length range which is reflected from the test 86 sample, and an infra-red blocking filter arranged in the optical system of said measuring means intermediate said photo-cell and the other elements of said measuring means which filter prevents infra-red light only from reaching said 40 measuring means.

5. In a device for measuring spectral reflectance in the visible light range, a source of light, means for directing a concentrated beam orlight from said source onto a test sample, a photo-cell arranged to be directly energized from said light source, a second photo-cell, means including a condensing lens and a filter for collecting the light reflected from the test sample and for directing the light collected and passed by said fllter onto said second photo-cell, a variable area diaphragm arranged to control the intensity of the light talling upon said second photo-cell, a blocking filter which passes visible light but blocks infra-red light arrangedintermediate said second photocell 'and said filter forming a part of said light directing means, and means, including an electrical indicating means, cooperating with said photo-, cells to permit measurement of the relative intensity of the light energy falling upon saidphotocells by varying the area or said diaphragm.

6. In a devicei'or measuring spectral reflectance in the visible light range, means for directing a beam of light of predetermined wave length range onto a test sample, an infra-red blocking fllter positioned in said beam for preventing infra-red light from impinging upon the test sample, means including a photo-cell for measuring the intensity oi the light reflected by the sample, and a second infra-red blocking fllter located in the optical system or said measuring means intermediate said photo-cell and the sample which prevents infrared light only from reaching said photo-cell.

PHHIP NOLAN. 

